Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-03-15
HEALTH MATTERS.
Joint Meetfng of the Council and
state Board of Health.

Auo Otdte DOard OF Health and the
City Council met in conference at the
rooms OF the Board of Trade last night.
DR.. Orme in the chair. E. L. Stern being
introduced, spoke in behalf of the Los
Angeles Board of Trade, and said that ne
was glad to have the members of the
State Board of Health here to assist
in obtaining control of the situation
and to quiet the excitement. Those
who were not of the medical profession
did not feel that there was any particu.
lar cause for alarm, but at the same
time the disease should be stamped out
at once. The physicians were doing all
that was possible in getting control of
the situation, and with the advice of
the State Board of Health he hoped
that the smallpox would soon be- a
thing of the past. He promised, on
behalf of the Board of Trade, that any
thing that body could do to assist would
be done most heartily.
DIR. Hagan then gave brief review
! OF the disease since its start. He stated
that at present there are thirteen
cases in the hospital and fif.
teen in private families under
quarantine. Three cases had recovered
and six patients have died, max.
ing a total Of forty-one cases in
all. He had made a close
search for more cases and had examined
all suspected cases reported, and there
were no new cases yesterday. In his
| opinion there were no cases concealed,
and there had been very few outside of
those reported. He also gave descrip-
tion of the method in which cases were
treated. All cases left at home are close.
ly quarantined, with guard al each
house. The treatment ef patients at the
hospital has been SO careful that whole
families have gone there with relatives,
and have lived in comfort. Siucs the
beginning of the disease over 10000
people had been vaccinated, and only
about one.tenth of the SO, 900 people are
unprotected. The question now is, how
to reach that portion of the population.
Vaccination is the only defense against
the disease, and when the small part
unprotected are reached, there will be
no more danger.
Mr.. Rowan, chairman of the Bo,rd of
Supervisors, stated that outside of the
city, up to Sunday, there had only been
eight cases, and OF these five had been
turned loose. Since then, four new
cases had been reported, making a total
of seven patients at present. The ohysi-
clans were doing all in their power to
prevent any spread.
DR.. Orme stated that the utmost vigi.
lance was being exercised throughout
the county.
DR.. Cole. the spokesman of the State
Board of Health, said he had no dspo.
sition to shirk the duties imposed upon
him. The members of the State
Board were here as friends. 1t
was reported that they had
come to Los Angeles to do something
which they had no intention of attempt
ing, namely, quarantining the city.
They had come simply as an advisory
body on their way to the border. He
had looked over the health law and his
colleagues had come to the conclusion 10
suggest that the Board of Health be
changed SO that in the future it will con-
sist of the Mayor and four physicians;
chat all cases of contagious disease be
reported to the Health Officer, under
penalty OF fine and imprisonment; that
vaccination and re.vaccination be en-
forced; that good virus be used; that
the city be districted for vaccination |
purposes; that in all cases of death from |
contagious disease public funeral be |
prohibited, and that the body be |
buried as soon after death as posi-. |
BILE; that an ordinance be passed making
it a misdemeanor for hackpan or an |
owner of any kind of vehicle to carry
diseases. and that all persons suffering
from contagious diseases discovered in
hotels or houses containing more than
one family shall be forced to go to the
hospital.
DR.. Simpson thought that there should
be established place where suspects
could be kept until it was ascertained
whether or not they were affected. He
reiterated DR.. Coles statement of the
object of the visit of the State Board of
Health. He advised that the sewers
should be cleansed and flushed effectu.
ally and that disinfectants should be
freely used. He also suggested that the
site for the new hospital be changed, as
he had heard some objection to its erec-
tion.
DR.. Orme stated that the railroad
officials strongly objected to the present
proposition to build on the site selected.
Ex-Governor Stoneman thought that |
everything was being done that was
possible, but he advised the utmost vigi- |
lance on the part of the Board of
Health.
The joint meeting then adjourned and
the physicians present left with the ex.
ception of Health Officer Hagan and
DR.. Kurtz.
Mayor Workman then called the CITY
Council to order and an informal discus.
sion was held in reference to the sug.
gestions made by the State Board Of
Health. At first it was proposed that
special meeting of the Council be called
for this evening at 7 o'clock, to pass or.
dinances containing the matter advised
by DR.. Cole, but Mr.. L. N. Breed, Presi-
dent of the Council, stated that there
was no need of special meeting for the
reason that ordinances and laws already
existed, which covered the whole ground
suggested, except that relating to the
formation of the Board of Health, and
that matter could lay over until regu-
lar meeting.
Mayor Workman thRght some active
measures ought to be taken for enforc-
ing vaccination.
DIR. Hagan said he did not desire to
vaccinate every one in the city, but only
those who had not been vaccnated. He
thought that all the school children
should be vaccinated and this time with
good virus.
DR.. Kurtz said that the school child.
rem had been vaccinated, but the virus
was not good. because only about one in
four was successful. He thought that
they should be vaceinated, especially
those on whom it did not take before.
After few minutes spent in informal
discuss on, it was deemed unnecessary